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West African states help Nigeria hold peaceful elections: Ghana's president

Xinhua, January 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has said West African leaders have put adequate measures in place to ensure peaceful elections in Nigeria next month, local media reported here Monday.

Addressing a news conference in Accra over the weekend, Mahama, who is also chair of the sub-regional group, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said despite increasing attacks by Boko Haram in the northern east parts of Nigeria, the Feb. 14 presidential election in that country would come off as scheduled.

Through armed attacks, abductions, bombings and raids, the Islamist militant group has killed thousands of Nigerians, particularly over the past year, leading to calls to the Nigerian authorities to call off the elections.

However, Mahama says doing so would mean victory for Boko Haram.

"Nigeria cannot delay those elections because of Boko Haram. It would have given Boko Haram a victory they don't deserve," he said.

Mahama said ECOWAS was constantly in touch with the Nigerian authorities and the Electoral Commission to ensure that the elections were successful.

Mahama said various international monitoring groups would be observing the Nigerian elections, adding that ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations were keenly "following the issues and are in touch with both the authorities and the Electoral Commission to make sure the elections are held on schedule and are free and fair."

Meanwhile, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for peaceful elections in Nigeria.

Annan made the call when Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Muhammadu Buhari and nine other presidential candidates adopted an inter-party agreement on nonviolence and the acceptance of the results of the upcoming elections on February 14 and 28. Endi